Who is right my doctor or employer?

Kittyrules

Okay I left a very stressful job, I have been on anti depressants since April and need them long term . I joined an agency to do temp work and I was told I needed a note from my doctor to say I was safe to be around children. I went to my doctor and they have told me the agency need to write to him with my consent and pay a fee to get this.

The agency have said they have never had this issue or had to pay a fee and refuse to do so, they said without a note I can not work.

This is really crap for me because I have no other job. My doctor said they are trying to get out of paying the fee and by law it has to go the way he said, them contacting him etc

Does anyone have any information? The agency have said I will struggle to get a job if the doctor will not do this.

I left my current job as I was having a lot of issues with a similar matter and it was really not helping me mentally at all.

Torry_Quine

Most doctors will charge for this as it's not part of their regular work.

I'm not sure though why being on anti-depressants means you need proof of being able to safely work with children.

marybelle01

Whether the doctor charges a fee is entirely up to the doctor - and it is irrelevant who pays it, you or the agency, if he does charge one. The agency are under no obligation to offer you work, so from their point of view they have nothing to gain from paying for this, because someone else's doctor will provide it for free because their patient needs to access work. There is no law that says a doctor must charge for this work - many do but only because employers (and it is usually employers) do usually pay - but there is also no law that says they must pay either.

Kittyrules

marybelle01 wrote: »

Whether the doctor charges a fee is entirely up to the doctor - and it is irrelevant who pays it, you or the agency, if he does charge one. The agency are under no obligation to offer you work, so from their point of view they have nothing to gain from paying for this, because someone else's doctor will provide it for free because their patient needs to access work. There is no law that says a doctor must charge for this work - many do but only because employers (and it is usually employers) do usually pay - but there is also no law that says they must pay either.

Thank you, I shall talk to the head of the surgery I am at. Also I was not told I could pay the fee myself, how does that even work? I just say I want them to write something and pay the fee?

And because I am on anti depressants they need to have it write by a medical professional that I am safe for their insurance.

Tessuk

Different situation but my doctor has said the same to me - that he can respond to requests and it's common practice for the Dr to charge a fee for it. My doctor has written reports related to me for insurance and work purposes, and no requesting company has said that they won't pay for his time to write the report, it was expected.

I did pay once for the fee, just tell the surgery. Your dr may prefer some questions to help him to understand what is required.

Sorry this isn't as useful as I originally intended - I got delayed posting and when I posted there were lots of other responses - I learn!

InsideInsurance

Kittyrules wrote: »

Also I was not told I could pay the fee myself, how does that even work? I just say I want them to write something and pay the fee?

Drs get paid by the NHS for medical related work/ appointments etc. For things that aren't care related they dont get paid by the NHS and most GPs (like most people) don't like working for free. GPs normally have a published price list available from the practice manager about how much they charge for signing passport applications, writing reports for insurers or anything similar - unfortunately they aren't cheap.

If you have a very good relationship with your Doc you may be able to get them to do it for free in their own time but most don't. As to how do you do it, you agree a price, give them the money, collect the letter. To save having to get it repeated it is best to ask the agency EXACTLY what they want it to say as if it needs to be redrafted the Dr will probably charge again.

marybelle01

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Drs get paid by the NHS for medical related work/ appointments etc. For things that aren't care related they dont get paid by the NHS and most GPs (like most people) don't like working for free. GPs normally have a published price list available from the practice manager about how much they charge for signing passport applications, writing reports for insurers or anything similar - unfortunately they aren't cheap.

Whilst I agree with what you say, and no, nobody likes working for free - most people do not get paid what GP's get paid, and many people have little choice about doing some work for "free"! Nor have most people had education for at least seven years at the taxpayers expense. There is more than adequate evidence that being in employment is healthier for people than being unemployed. It is a significant saving to society and to the healthcare budget (and that includes the GP - they get paid for the patient to NOT turn up at their surgery and claim treatment), to say nothing of the consideration of caring for your patient by doing what you can to ensure their mental and physical wellbeing - which is surely the reason for choosing to practice medicine?

Whilst I accept that charging for writing reports for insurers and direct employers, both of whom will pay for those reports, is fair enough. I find it incredible that any practitioner of medicine would rather lie to their patient (there is no law that says they must charge) and refuse to write a paragraph or two to help them secure employment which will improve their life chances and therefore their health.

And in case anyone isn't aware - there is no longer a requirement for GP's or similar to sign passport application forms. Anyone who has known the applicant for the required period of time, including your next door neighbour who is unemployed, can do it. Nobody should have to pay even more for a travel document.

I am not against doctors, but they are also far from poor or deprived. They have choices, and if their choices are dictated solely on the basis of whether someone pays a fee, in my opinion they are poor doctors.

Andy_L

marybelle01 wrote: »

And in case anyone isn't aware - there is no longer a requirement for GP's or similar to sign passport application forms. Anyone who has known the applicant for the required period of time, including your next door neighbour who is unemployed, can do it.

.gov.uk would appear to disagree

"Countersignatories must work in (or be retired from) a recognised profession or be ‘a person of good standing in their community’, eg:

"

https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

InsideInsurance

marybelle01 wrote: »

I find it incredible that any practitioner of medicine would rather lie to their patient (there is no law that says they must charge) and refuse to write a paragraph or two to help them secure employment which will improve their life chances and therefore their health.

And in case anyone isn't aware - there is no longer a requirement for GP's or similar to sign passport application forms. Anyone who has known the applicant for the required period of time, including your next door neighbour who is unemployed, can do it. Nobody should have to pay even more for a travel document.

On the first part, who mentioned "the law", they told the OP that he must charge doesnt necessarily mean its a law that he must charge but could well be the practice's policy. If he isnt a partner in the practice then he is simply an employee and like all employees he must follow company policy.

Drs were removed as one of the examples of people suitable for signing a passport, allegedly at the request of their professional body, but the requirements have not changed and it does still needs to be a person of good standing which your unemployed neighbour wouldnt count as unless they were chartered by a royal institute or similar.

As to if the well off should be forced to do pro bono work for the good of society? thats a very long thread in its own right

southoftheriver

Like other people have alluded to, GPs do not get paid for doing this. Writing a letter may seem simple but it involves going thorugh a patients medical records to make sure that everything is correct, otherwise the doctor would be held accountable.

Yes doctors are well educated and have studied for years, but why should they provide a non medical service for free just because they receive a higher than average wage? Do you ask Richard Branson for free flights because you are stressed and can do with a break? After all he's a billionaire.

The OPs agency are being tight by not paying for this. Just because some GPs do it for free doesn't mean there should be an obligation to. And no i'm not a GP, and I have paid for letters before.

marybelle01

InsideInsurance wrote: »

On the first part, who mentioned "the law", they told the OP that he must charge doesnt necessarily mean its a law that he must charge but could well be the practice's policy. If he isnt a partner in the practice then he is simply an employee and like all employees he must follow company policy. Quote from the OP's post - " My doctor said they are trying to get out of paying the fee and by law it has to go the way he said". So the answer is, the OP mentioned the law, qoting the doctor.

Drs were removed as one of the examples of people suitable for signing a passport, allegedly at the request of their professional body, but the requirements have not changed and it does still needs to be a person of good standing which your unemployed neighbour wouldnt count as unless they were chartered by a royal institute or similar. I suggest you check the passport application form. It very clearly states that the requirement is that your identity is verified by someone who has known you for a specific period of time - it says nothing about that person being of good standing, and there is, in any case, no definition of what that means - who says that my unemployed neighbour is not of "good standing"? "Royal institutes or similar" have nothing to do with anything - I regularly sign passport applications.

As to if the well off should be forced to do pro bono work for the good of society? thats a very long thread in its own right

I did not suggest that the well off should be forced to do pro-bono work. I suggested that in the greater scheme of things the OP's health, which the GP is supposed to safeguard, is benefitted by being in employment rather than unemployed, and the only thing standing between them and employment is a note from the doctor which would take a matter of minutes to do, and which he knows the agency will not pay for. I am therefore suggesting that he use his professional judgement to support his patient into employment, something that will be much better for her than a bunch of pills on prescription and cheaper than treatment for depression exacerbated by an unemployment that he can make a difference about; and that he use his common humanity to do something that will help someone else.